Method of and machine for producing gears



138326, 1933. A L. STEWART 1,940,703

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING GERS` Filed Aug. 10, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR i1 BYQTZZJZ. Siga/afi.

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ATTORNEY/n v Dec. 26, 1933. A. l.. STEWART 1,940,703

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCIG GEARS Filed Aug. 10, 1931 4 sheets-sheet s A. l.. STEWART 1,940,703

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FORy PRODUCING GEARS 4 sheets-sheet 4 Dec. 26, 1933.

Filed Aug. 10, 1931 @Hf/f INVENTOR V 'BY/@mw gis #suomiVV Patented Dec. 26, 1933 UNITED STA res METHoD oF AND -MACHINE FOR PRO- DUQING GEARS l Arthur L. Stewart, Rochester, vN. Y.,`assignor to` Gleason Works,'Rochester, N.` Y., a corporation of New York Application August 10, 1931. Serial` No. 556,169

' 1s claims.

One object of the present invention is to prof vide a method of finish-cutting straight-toothed gears particularly bevel and hypoid in a completing operation directly from the solid, that is,

a method 'of roughing and finishing gears in a single operation with a single set-up of the gear cutting machine. f

A further object of the invention is to provide a Vmethod of finish-cutting straight-toothed gears ,with a completing milling cutter in which certain'cutting edges of the cutter effect the roughing operation and the other or iinish cutting edges of the cutterare saved for the finishing operation, the purpose being to produce finished tooth surfaces on the completed gear comparable insmoothness to those of gears cuty according to the present practice in separate roughing and finishing operations with separate roughing and nishing tools. This feature is of especialvalue with regard to `non-generated gears for one of the principal objections to the use of such gears heretofore has been the poor tooth-surface finish obtainable in the forming or non-generating process. Y

' A further object of the invention is to provide a method of cutting straight-toothed gears having straight or non-generated tooth proliles` which will he faster and less costlythan any method heretofore suggested for the production' r cated, tooth surfaces are finished directly from the solid with a completing tool, in a single set-up and on a single machine.

In producing gears according to the present invention, disc milling cutters are employed as the cutting tools. A single cutter may be used at a time, but preferably two cutters are employed simultaneously. With a single cutter, each tooth space may be roughed out and one side surface of each nished in a single operation, but some re-'adjustment of the tool or blank is required (Cl. i-5K) after one side face of all the teeth has been iinished in order to finish' the opposite' side faces. With two cutters, the tooth spaces can be roughed out and opposite side tooth faces'can `simultaneously be finish cut. Thus with two cutters,v a gear can be cut completely 'from'thesolid in one operation withoutY any re-adjustrnent` `being s necessary. Moreover, since theV two cutters `will be operating simultaneously in two differentl tooth spaces, faster production Will be possible. The cutter or cutters used are of so' large a diameter that they Will cut the teeth for their f full ylength Without requiring traversevof the cutter or cutters 'across the face ofthe blank and that the curvature of the bottoms of the `tooth spaces so produced isnegligible. The cutters used, moref over, arev preferably of the type having'cutting edges at one side lying in aplahe perpendicular to the axis of the cutter. The cuttingedges on the opposite side may be arranged 'in'4 a'conical surface and will `preferably be inclined to the"` axis of the cutter at an angle equal to twice the pressure Aangle of the tooth to be cut in the blank,Vv that is,'V at an angle equal to the included angle between two adjacent side tooth faces of the gear to be cut. In cutting `each toothspace of the blank,` a relative depthwise `or roughing feed movement is first imparted between the tool or `tools and the blank end, whenv full depth position has been reached, a relative sidewise or finishing feed movement. ,The depthwise'or roughingfeed movement is in a direction so inclined to the y plane side of the cutter or cutters that the depthv Wise or roughing cut is taken by the conical side of the cutter and by the` tops of the cutting blades and the plane orfmishing side of the cutter does no rough cutting.` As soon as full depth positioni is reached, the relative sidew'ise movement ofthe cutter begins `and in this movement the plane side of the cutter comes into operation and finishes one side of the tooth space. Then thev cutter or cutters is or are withdrawn from engagement with the blank and the blank indexed.

-Alternate cutting and indexing proceeds until,Y

all of the tooth spaces have been cut. Where two cutters are used, they can be arranged Yto"l nishcut opposite sides of the teeth and when the blank has been indexed through one revolution, the gear will have been' completed. 1

The presenti process results not only in a saving inproductionv time due to elimination of eXtra set-up andchucking, but also makes possible a". material lowering of production costs through i elimination of specialized ized cutting tools.

machinery and spelcjial- 1 Since the plane side of the cutter does no work during the roughing of a tooth space but is saved for the finishing cut, the same high degree of finish can be obtained on the tooth profile as has been obtainable heretofore in a separate finishing process and, moreover, the cutting tool will have a long life between grinds.

In the drawings z Figures 1 to 3 inclusive illustrate diagrammatically the improved method of cutting gears, Figure 1 showing the tool and blank out of en.- gagement with the tool about to begin its cut and indicating the direction of the roughing feed, Figure 2 showing the positions of the tool and blankV at the end of the roughing feed and in-4 dicating the general direction of the finishing feed, and Figure 3 showing the relative positions of tool and blank at the end of the finishing cut;

Figure 4 is a more or less diagrammatic View, showing, in side elevation, one embodiment of a bevel gear cutting machine constructed to op-.

fteeth. formed integral with the body of the cutter.v The latter type is shown vin the drawings. .y 11 and 12 designate theopposite side cutting, edges of the cutter and the top cutting edges are'designated at l13. f i v axis'l'` of the cutter andthey all lie in a plane perpendicular tothis axis. The cutting edges 12.

are prefer-ably inclined to the axis of the cutter, bei-ng arranged in a conical surface coaxial with fthecutter. The angle 4between the cutting edges y :space of the gear tobe cut. 1n this way the tooth spaces of the blank can be roughed more closely to iiiisheds'ize during the roughing feed.

The preferred method of cutting is to position'th'e 'cutter so that its plane `side is in- ;cli'ri'ed Ito 'the 'pitch surface of 'the blank at an fout a tooth surface f the correct pressure angle, it'will be seen /thatithe adjustment and feed of the cutter can Vbe varied within a widek range. In the drawings, thecutter is shown as positioned according to ythe preferred method. The plane yside of thevcutter is inclined tov the pitch surface ofthe blank at an angle corresponding tothe pressure angle of the teeth to be cut. vThis adjustment can most 4readily be secured by adjusting-'the cutter'ang'ula'rlyso lthat its aiis is in- -cim'ed 'to the pitch 'piane 'of tagelang at an The cutting edges'll VVare perpendicular'to the angle equal to the pressure angle of the gear to be cut.

The plane `side of the cutter is the finishing side. To relieve this side of the burden of the roughing cut, the cutter is not fed directly into depth in a direction perpendicular tothe root surface of the blank as in the ordinary process of cutting gears with a milling cutter, but is fed into depthl along a line inclined at an acute angle to the plane side of the cutter and less inclined to the pitch surface of the blank than in the plane side ofl the cutter.

In Figures l to 3 of the drawings, the gear blank being cut is shown as a rack G, but this is primarily for the purpose yof illustration as the principal application of the invention is to the production of non-generated gears, spur, bevel and hypoid. In Figure 1, two tooth spaces S of the blank have been out and the cutter is about to commence the cutting of a new tooth space whose'finaliboundaries are indicated by the dotted lines S1, S2 and S3. The arrow 16 indicates vthe direction of the depthwise or roughing feed. As described, this roughing feed ,is in a4 direction inclined to the plane side of the cutter and less inclined to the pitch. surface of the blankthanis the plane side of `the cutter. VInvthis movement, the rotating cutter is moved relative to the blank G from the position shown in Figure l tothe position indicated in Figure 2. in this movement, a slot zof thecorrect depth will be cut in the blank by the sides l2 and the tips i3 of the teeth of the cutter but the cutting edges 1l of the plane side of Vthe cutter will not 'ce in operation 'because of the direction of feed. These finish-cutting edges will be relieved from the burden of the rougliing cut and will be kept sharp for the finishing. op-

eration. .y

When the cutter has reached full depth'position shownV in Figure 2, there will be metal included between the line 17 and the line S3 and los between the line 19 and the line S1 still left on the sides ofthe tooth space which must be removed to produce the. tooth surface. When the vcutter has reached full depth position shown in Fig. 2, it is shifted sidewise relative to lthe blank as indicated by the arrow 18 and is moved irl-this direction until the cutter hasreached the position shown in Figure 3. In this position, the plane side of the cutter will. sweep out the finished tooth surface S3 of theV tooth space and thus one side surface of a tooth will be finished. vThe cutter is then withdrawn.` A

from engagement with the blank and the blank indexed to bring another portion of the blank into position for cutting of a new tooth space therein.

The stock left between the lines 19 and S1 may be removed with another cutter operating at another point around thegear, as will be described hereinajfter, vor the cutter lil or blank G may be re-adjusted after all of the tooth spaces have been roughed and one side thereof finished, so that when the cutter is again fed into depth and shifted sdcwise relativ-e to the blank, thev sides 11 of the cutting teeth will finish-cut theY sides S1 by removing the stock between the lines 19 and S1. f v

ti is to be noted that the iinish cutting edges 1l cut only duringthe finishing operation andare called upon then 'to remove only a very slight amount of stock from the blank. The burden placed upon these finish kcutting edges bythe present process no greater r`than required of finish-cutting tools in present practice where the .finishing operation is a separateoperation fromthe roughing out. As a result, `the finished -tooth sides of a gear cut by the present invention will havea nish equal to that of gears cut by the present practice, so that with the present invention, increased production and `lower costsV imparted to thefblank either by a straight-linebodily movement ofthe `blank into the tool or a slight rotational movement .of the blank afterthe tool has reached full depth position or in any.

other suitable manner as will hereinafter' appear.

In practice, it is preferred to employ two cutters so that opposite tooth-sides of the blankmay be finished simultaneously. In Figures 4 to 7 inclusive, this preferredinethodrof cutting'is illustrated and also the cutting of non-generated tapered gears, which is the principal field of ap-` i plication of the invention. y

The two cutters 25 and 26 are preferably so spaced angularly that they cut at opposite sides of the blank B to provide a balanced condition and minimize any tendency towards vibration resulting from the heavy Aroughing cuts. 'Ihe two 'cutters are adjusted relative to one another so that their plane cutting sides are inclined to oneanother to out lengthwise tooth surfaces on opposite sides of the teeth of the blank which converge at the proper angle. This is illustrated most clearly in Figure '7. The axis of the cutter 25 is indicated at 27 and theV axis of the cutter 26 at 28. In finish cutting position, the finish cutting edges of the two cutters are to lie in planes 29 and 30, respectively, inclined at an angle A to one anotherjdetermined bythe angle of convergence of opposite sides of the teeth Aof the blank, the angle A depending, also, ofcourse, on the angular distance between the cutters. In finish cutting position, the planes 29 `and 30 of the cutters must also be inclined to the axis 32 of the blank B at an angle corresponding to the Y pressure angles of the tooth'surfaces to be cut on the blank. That is, in finish cuttingposition, the line 34 of intersection of the two planes 29 andV 30 must be inclined to the axis 32 ofthe blank at an angle P equal to the pressure angle ofthe tooth surfaces of the gear to be produced.

In adjusting the cutters and blank initially, the cutters may be positioned so that the planes 29 and 30 of their finish cutting edges Will ordinarily be inclined to the blank in accordance with the pressure angle ofthe tooth surfaces to be produced, but vthis is not necessary for the'cutters may, if desired, be shifted, into theseposi-` tions, after full depth position has been reached, by a swinging finishing movement of either the cutters themselves or the blank. case, the finishing feed can be a straight line feed as described above.

In roughing, both cutters are fed intovdepthA just as isthe case with a single cutter, by movement of the cutters or the blank along some line 35'inclined at an angle F to the line 34 of intersection ofthe planes 29 and 30, that is, in a direction inclined to the plane cutting sidesV of the cutters and less inclined to thepitch kplane ofthe blank than are the plane sides of the cutters. As above indicated, this relieves `the nishing edges of the `cutting teeth from the burden of roughing. When the cutters have reached full depth position, both cutters or the blank are shifted just as is the case with a single l cutter so that in nal cutting position, the finish cutting edges of the cutters will sweep out finished side tooth surfaces of the blank. The planes of the finish cutting sides ofthe two cutters will coincide with the planes 29 and 30 and the iinish cutting sides of the two cutters will produce ltwo finished tooth surfaces 37 and 33 on the blank. These two sides 37 andV 38 are opposite side tooth surfaces of two different teeth of the blank :and by reason of the shape of the cutters Lwill be plane. But, as the cutters have no'feed or displacement across the-face of the blank B, the

bottoms of the tooth slots `39 and 40 will .be

curved and the'sides 4l and 42 of these tooth slots, which are out by the conical sides of the` cutters 25 and 26, will also be curved.V

. After the cutting of the two tooth spaces 39 and 40, the cutters and blank are withdrawn out of engagement and the blank is indexed;` It willbe 'seen that when the blank has been indexed` far enough to bring the tooth space 39 into the positionoccupied by the tooth space 40 in Figure 7, the plane side of the cutter 26 will finish the side 41k of this tooth space,1producing a plane tooth side converging with the plane tooth side-37 at the blank apex; Likewise, `when the blank has been indexed far enough forthe tooth space 40 to occupy the position of the tooth space 39 `in Figure 7, the side 42 of the tooth space 40` willbe finish out by the plane side of the cutter 25` and a plane tooth surface produced on the blank whichconverges with the side 38 at the blank apex. Thus in one revolution of the blank, both mounted in'cutter'heads 45 and 46 which are secured. to an upright 47 mounted on a base 48.

The blank B to be cut is secured to the work,k

spindle v49 which'is journaled in a work head 50 swingably mounted by means of trunnions 51 in\ the work head slide 52. The slide 52 is mounted on the base 48 to slide in a direction 53 inclined"` to the line of intersection of the plane of the finish cuttingedges of the cutter corresponding to the line V35 of Figure 7.

The swinging movement `of the work head 50 is controlled by a' rotatable cam V55 whichis rotated in any suitable manner in timed relation with a cam 56 that controls rrn'oveir'ient of the work head slide 52;' There is an arm 58 secured to'the work head 50 and this arm carries a roller 59 that engages in the track-way .60 of the cani 55. The.` work head slide 52 carries a roller 62 which engages in the trackway 63 ofthe cain56.

During the roughing feed, the dwell in `the track-way 60 of the cam 55 retains the work head 50 in raised position with the Yairis of the work spindle coinciding with the line 64.. The rough g Y ing feed' is produced by the cam 56. vThis cam may be ydriven in any suitable manner. `When the blank B has reached fulldepth position, as `determined by the contact of the front face of the Work head slide 52 with a positivestopping surface 6,5V formed` on the Vframe 48, theactive portion of the track-way of the cam 55 will come into operation and-oscillate the work head 50 about its trunnions 51, rocking the blank into finish cutting position with its axis coinciding with the `line which intersects the line of intersection ofthe planesof the nish cutting edges of the t-wo cutters in the apex 63 of Ythe blank;` The positive stop69 servesY to controlaccurately the finish cutting position of the .work head. Y Y -V When the finishing cut is completed, the cam 55 lifts the work spindle away and the work head slide 52 is withdrawn by the cam 55 and the blank is indexed. The index mechanism may be of any usual or suitable construction.

V:In the foregoing description, particular reference has been Vmade'to the cutting of straightv tooth bevel or hypoid gears having radial teeth.V

It will be understood, however, that thel invention is applicable to the cutting of straight tooth bevel gears Withnon-radial or skew teeth. in the cutting of such gears, of course, the planes of the finish cutting edges of the cutters in finish cutting position will be offset from theaxis of the 4blank in accordance with theobliquity or skew of thev teeth', butthe planes of the finish cutting edges of ,Y jjthe two cutters will be inclined to one another,

cutters or the blanks in finish cutting positionwill be inclined in ,accordance with the pressure angles l v of the tooth sides being pro-duced.'

While the invention has a particular advantage in the cutting of gears having plane tooth sur- ;jfaces, that is, of Vnon-,geiierated gears, in certain fg'lthe'blankis held stationary and then the cuttersV shifteehas already described, to iinishcutting positon and while they were being shifted, a gen'- erating roll produced between the cutters and blanktogenerate the tooth profiles. Y

In generalit will be `understoodthat `while the invention Yhas been describedin connection with particular `en ibodirnents andparticular uses, the

invention is capable Vof various lfurther modifica--y tions and usesf-andthat this application is intend- Ajedrto'cover any adaptations, uses, or embodigments of the present invention following in gen,-

eral, the'principlesgpof the invention yand including such departures from the present disclosure as `corne within ,known or customary practice in -1the gear art and as may be applied to the essential 'features hereinbefcre set forth and as fall within the scope ofthe ,invention or the limits ofthe appended jclaimsf Having thus-.described my invention, what iclaimist- Y Y 1. The method of cutting the tooth surfaces of a gear which comprises adjusting a rotary mill-V ing cutter and a gear blank into operative relation and producing a relative feed movement between the cutter and the blank in a direction less inclined to thepitch plane: of the blank than one side of the cutter until' full depth position` isr reached whereby toavoid cutting the blank with i said side during said feed movement, and then `shifting the cutter relativeto the blank to cause said side `of the cutter to nish cut one lside of the tooth-space cut-during said feed movement.

2. The method of cutting the tooth'surfaces of agear which comprises adjusting a rotating milling cutter, having side cutting edges at one side perpendicular to its axis into operative relation with a gear blank and then producing a relative feed movement between the cutter andblank along a line less inclined to the pitch surface of the blank thansaid side wherebyto avoid cutting the blank with said side during said Vfeed movement, and then imparting a relative sluiting movement between'the cutterand blank laterally with reference to the blank to cause said side cut.- ting edges to finish Ycut one side. tooth surface ofthe blank. l

3. The method ofcutting the side tooth surfaces of a gear ywhich comprises providing arotary milling cutter having cutting edges at one side lying in a plane perpendicular to Iits axis and cutting edges at itsopposite side lying in a conical surface, positioning said cutter in ,engagei ment with agear blank, and while rotating-said cutter on its axis, producing a relative Vfeed move-- ment between the cutter-and blank along a line less inclined to the pitch lplane Vof the blank than loo,

is the plane side of the cutter until full ;depth` iane side ofthe cutter-to sweep out a finished vtoot-h side of the blank;

ll. The method of cutting the tooth surfaces of. a bevel gear which comprises adjusting a pair of milling cutters, each of which has side cutting edges on one side perpendicular to the axis of the cutter, anda gear blank into operative relation so that planes containing the describedcutting edges are inclined at an angle to one another determined by the angle of convergence of opposite sides of the teeth of the gear to be cut, feeding the cutters and blank relative to one another along a line less inclined tothe pitch plane of the blank than the described cutting edges to cause said cutters to take roughing cuts with their tips and with the'side-cutting edges opposite to the first-named edgesof the-cutteronly and, when full depth cutting position has been reached,rshifting the'cutters and blank relative to one another so that ink final cutting position the axis of each cutter is inclined to a side toothsurface of the blank at an angleV equal to the pres.

sure angle of said tooth ksurface and so that said tooth surfaces will be finish lcut ,by therstnamed sidecutting edgesof Athe two cutters.

5.- The methodof cutting the tooth surfaces vof l agear which comprises inclining a rotating inilling cutter having sidelcutting edges at one vside which are perpendicular to its axis, so that said side cutting edges `are inclined to the pitch plane of the gear blank atan angle corresponding to the pressure angle of Y a tooth surface of the blank,`

feeding said cutter into the blank along a line so faces of a bevel gear which comprises providing a f pair of milling cutters, each of which has-side side of the-cutter'totake a nishing cut on one `side face of theblank.

cutting edges at one side lying in a plane perpendicular `to its axis, positioning said, cutters in engagement with a gear blank so that the planes of said cutting edgesare inclined to one another at an angle determined by the. angle of convergence of opposite sides of the teeth of the gear to be cut, feeding said cutters into engage*- ment with the blankalong a line so inclined to the lineof intersection of said planes, until full depth position is reached, as to avoid cutting with the described side cutting edges and to causethe tips and the sides of the cutters opposite to the first-named sides to rough Vout two different tooth `spaces of the blank, and then shifting the ,cut-

ters relative to the blank to cause the first-named cutting edges vof the cutters to :Finish cut opposite side tooth surfaces of said tooth spaces.

7. The method of finishing opposite side tooth surfaces of a bevel gear which comprises selecting a `pair of milling cutters, each or which Yhas side cutting edges on one side lying in a plane perpendicular to its axis, positioning said cutters relative to a bevel gear blank so that planes containing said cutting edges are inclined to one another at an'angle determined by the angle of longitudinal'convergence of opposite-side tooth surfaces of the gear to be cut and so that the planes are also inclined to a common plane innclined to the pitch plane ofthe blank at angles equal tothe pressure angles of thetooth surfaces to be cut,` feeding the blank bodily relative to the cutters along a ,line inclined to the line of intersection of the planes of the cutters until both cutters have been fed into the blank to full depth` and means for shifting the cutter, after it has reached full depth position, in a direction inclined to the direction of its depthwise feed to cause said named side of the cutter to takea nnishing cut.

9. In a machinefor producinggears, a work support, a tool support, a rotatable disc milling cutter journaled on the tool support and having side cutting edges at one side arranged in a plane perpendicular to its axis, means for `producing a relative depthwise feed movement between the cutter and work support in a direction so inclined to the plane side of the cutter that the cutter cuts on its opposite lside and its tip only, and means for producing a relative movement vbetween the cutter and work support, after full depth position has been reached, to cause the plane-side of the cutter to finish a side surface of the tooth space.

10. In a machine for producing bevel gears, a tool support, a rotary milling cutter journaled in said tool support and having side cutting edges on one side lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tool support, a work support, means for feeding the work support in a direction so inclined to the cutter that the plane side or the cutter does no cutting, and means for swinging the work support angularly, after the cutter has reached full-depth position, to cause the plane l1., -In a machine for `cutting gears, a tool support, va rotary milling cutter journaledA on` said supportv and having cuttingv edges on one side lying in, a plane perpendicular to its axis and cutting edges on its opposite side lying in a conical Y surface,` means for producingl a relative feed movement between the, cutter and work support along a line so inclined to the cutter that the. plane side-cutting edges ofthecutter do no cutting and means for shifting the cutter and blank relative to one another, after Vthe cutter has reached full-depth positonto cause said plane side or thepcutter to sweep out a finished tooth side oi the blank. i 'w 12. In a machine for cutting gears, a tool support,V a pair of discmilling cutters journaled on `said support, each oiwhich has side cutting edges on one side lying in a plane perpendicular tothe axis of the cutter, a work` support, means for Vproducing a `relative` depthwise feed movement between the work support and cutters in a direction so inclined to the plane sides of they cutters that the opposite sides andtips only of the cutters take depthwise cuts, and means for shifting the cutters, after they have reached full-depth f cutting positions, to cause the plane sides of the cutters to take nishing cutson oplJOsite tooth, sides of the blank.` d

I3. In a machine for cutting bevel gears, a tool support, apair of disc milling cutters journaled on said support, each of which has side cutting edges on one side lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the Vcutter and which are mounted mined by the angle of convergence of opposite side surfaces of the gear' to be cut, a work support, means for producing a relative depthwise `feed movement between the work support and cutters in a direction so inclined to the plane sides of the cutters vas to cause the opposite sides and tips only of the cutters to take depthwise cuts, and means for swinging the work support angularly, after the cutters have reached fulldepth positions to cause the planesdes of the `cutters to take nnishing cuts on opposite tooth sides ofthe blank.

14. In a machine for cutting bevel gears, a tool support, a pair'of disc. milling cutters journaled on saidsupport, each of which has side cutting edges on one side lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cutter and which are so disposed to one another that their plane surfaces intersect at an angle determined by the angle of convergence of opposite side tooth surfaces of the'4 gear to be cut, a work support, means forfeeding the work support into the cutters along a line so inclined tothe line of intersection of the planes containing the plane side cutting edges ofthe cutters that the opposite side cutting edges landthe tip of the cutters do the cutting, and meansfor swinging the worksupport, when full depth position has been reached, to cause thework support to assume a position in which the plane sides of the cutters nish cut opposite side tooth surfacesrof the blank.

15. The method of cutting the tooth surfaces of a gear which comprises adjusting a rotating milling cutter, having side cutting edges at one side perpendicular to its axis, into operative relation to a gear blank so that the plane of said side cutting edges is inclined to the pitch plane of the blank at an angle equal Vto the pressure angle of producing a relative feed movement between said cutter andv the blank -along a line lessV inclined Ato the pitch plane of the blank than-said sidecutting edges whereby to avoid cutting with said `cutting edges until full depth position is reached,

' land' then shifting the cutter relative to the blank to causersaid side cutting edges to iinish-cut one side of the tooth space cut during lsaid feed movement;

162 -|Ihe methodof cutting thetooth surfaces of a gearlwhichcomprises adjusting a rotary milling cutter into-operative relation with a gear blank so thatl the side cutting edges at one side Joffthe cutter are inclined to the pitch plane of the gear blank at an angle equal to the pressure 'angle' of the finished toothV surfaces to be cut on the blank by said side cutting edgesproducing a 'relativefeed'movementjbetween the cutter and Vblank along a line less inclined to the pitch plane of the blank thansaid cutting edges whereby to avoidcutting* with said `edges until full depth position-is reached, and then shifting the cutter relative tothe blank tol cause said side cutting edges to iinish-cut one side of the tooth space cut during said feed movement.

1575111 a machine for producing gears, a work "support, a tool support, a rotary disc milling cut- 'te'r journaled on the tool support and having side cutting edges at one side arranged in `a plane perpendicular to its axis, means for adjusting the Vcutter and blank into operative relation with Vthe `plaine of said side cutting edges inclined to the *the :FinishedY tooth surfaces to be cut on the` blank,

pitch plane ofthe blank atan angle equal to the pressure` angle of the finished tooth surfaces to be cuton the blank by said side cutting edges, means for producing a relative feed movement `betweensaid cutter and blank along a line less"r inclined to the pitch plane of the blank than the plane of said side cutting edges whereby to avoid cutting with said edges during said feed, and means for producing a relative4 movement between the cutter and blank, after full depth position has been reached, to cause the described side cutting edges of the cutter to finish a side of the tooth tween saidl cutter and blank along a line less inelined tothe pitch plane of the blank than one side of the cutter whereby to avoid cuttingwth said side of the cutter during said feed, and when full depth position is reached, shifting the cutter and blank relative to one another ina direction parallel to the pitch plane to cause said side of the cutter to finish one side ofthe toothrspace cut during said feed movement.

ARTHUR L. SFI'EWART'. 

